Teaching Resources for Teaching Resources for Knitbone Pepper Ghost Dog Knitbone Pepper Ghost Dog

Best Friends ForeverBest Friends Forever

Winnie and her beloved dog, Knitbone Pepper, live at tumbledown Starcross Hall. They’ve

sworn to be best friends forever, but forever is an awfully long time. When the unthinkable

fi nally happens and Knitbone reaches the end of his days, Winnie feels like a lost soul…and

she’s not the only one.

Having expected to go to Heaven, Knitbone is confused to wake up the next morning inside

Winnie’s wardrobe. The good news is that he feels young and fi t again. The bad news is that,

no matter how hard he tries to get her attention, Winnie can’t see him anymore. This can only

mean only one thing:

Dead + still here = GhostFed up and lonely, Knitbone receives a surprise letter. It’s from SOS; Starcross Hall’s resident

gaggle of friendly animal spirits, inviting him to join their bonkers, biscuit-loving gang. Pepper

pets from di� erent centuries, they take him under their wing and help him get used to life after

death.

But when disaster unexpectedly befalls the house, can the ghosts rise to the occasion and save

Starcross? Perhaps most importantly of all, will Knitbone ever be reunited with Winne, the

person he loves the most?

A spirited tale of hope, humour and happy endings for imaginative young animal lovers.

Teachers’ resourcesTeachers’ resourcesThis pack includes comprehension questions, talking points and a range of fun creative activities

and writing tasks related to the book.

Author and Illustrator Research:Author and Illustrator Research:• To watch a video of Claire Barker talking about the inspirations behind the series, visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Ogoz0ufpro

• Look at the author’s website www.clairebarkerauthor.com. Can you fi nd a photograph of the real dog that inspired Knitbone Pepper and fi nd out his name? Clue: look at About and then Questions and Answers webpages.

• Can you list three jobs Claire did before she became an author?

• What is the illustrator of Knitbone Pepper called? Can you fi nd a picture of him at the back of the book?

• How many books are there in the Knitbone Pepper Ghost Dog series?

Chapter 1

Dog-goneDog-goneDog-gone

Comprehension QuestionsComprehension Questions1.Knitbone shares the same last name as the Peppers. What does this tell us about their

relationship?

2. Why does Knitbone think that the vet is ‘nice’?

3. Knitbone Pepper sometimes gets the wrong end of the stick. What has he misunderstood here?

The Peppers sat in a small, sad circle, passing around tissues, wiping their eyes and blowing their noses – so much so that Knitbone hoped they weren’t coming down with something.

4. Can you list the names of all the members of the Pepper family?

5. Does Winnie love Knitbone? How do we know?

6. Does Knitbone Pepper realize he is a ghost straight away?

7. What makes him fi nally understand that he has become a ghost?

8. Can you explain what the author is trying to show us here, without directly telling us?

He licked her cheek. Normally her face tasted of peppermint toothpaste or bubblegum, but today she tasted different: strange and salty.

Talking PointTalking PointDo you think Knitbone feels better or worse now that he is a ghost? Can you fi nd evidence for

this? What do you think might be the bad and good points of being a ghost? Discuss this with the

class.

Writing ExercisesWriting Exercises1. They had made a promise to be BFFs: Best Friends Forever. Like tea and toast, fish and chips, strawberries and cream; Winnie and Knitbone were made for each other.

The author shows us that Knitbone and Winnie are the perfect pair by listing other things

that go well together. Can you think of fi ve more pairs like this and write them down?

2. Imagine you are sitting inside a wardrobe/cupboard. Is it tidy or is it crowded? Use your

senses to describe what it looks, sounds, feels and smells like.

3. Dead + still here = GhostNormally numbers are used in calculations, but Knitbone (who isn’t very good at maths) uses

words instead. These sums help him to get his thoughts in order.

Can you calculate a simple word sum? For example: • Jam + bread = sandwich

• Hammer + thumb = ouch

4. “Winnie, it’s me – vitamin D! Geddit? D for Dog? Ha ha! No? Oh. Come on. If you get up now there will be time to play a game before the school bus comes. I want to have a go at ‘Jump the Piano’ because, guess what? I’m feeling much better today...”

Jumping over a piano would be very di� cult in real life, don’t you think? Luckily in a

fi ctional world anything can happen, but that doesn’t mean there shouldn’t be rules. What

do you think the rules should be for the Jump the Piano game? Can you invent them and

create a piece of instructional writing? Think about things like:

• Number of players

• If trampolines are allowed

• Run up distance

• Actions that would result in disqualifi cation

Maybe put in a safety feature like a mattress and extra points if someone is playing a tune

at the same time. Let your imagination leap as high as it can!

Maybe put in a safety feature like a mattress and extra points if someone is playing a tune

at the same time. Let your imagination leap as high as it can!

Creative ExercisesCreative Exercises

Imagine you are the illustrator. Take this piece of text from the story and draw Knitbone

from your own imagination. Close your eyes. Can you see him in your mind? This is what an

illustrator has to do.

...a knee-high dog with wonky ears and toffee-coloured, scrubbing-brush fur. He was wearing a pirate hat, perched at a cheeky angle. This dog certainly wasn’t a pedigree, more of a doggy jumble, but his eyes twinkled like the brightest stars. “Ooh, look,” Knitbone woofed cheerfully. “It’s me!”

YOUR ILLUSTRATION HERE!YOUR ILLUSTRATION HERE!

Chapter 2

THERE’S NO PLACETHERE’S NO PLACELIKE HOMELIKE HOME

Comprehension QuestionsComprehension Questions1. How long have there been Peppers at Starcross Hall?

2. Give an example from the text that shows us that Starcross Hall is a restful place.

3. What do Lord and Lady Pepper (Winnie’s parents) collect?

4. Starcross Hall is a fun place to be. Can you list some of the fun things that happen there?

5. Why does Lady Pepper think that puppy Knitbone might be a “disgusting, mutant slug”?

6. Why did Lord and Lady Pepper choose the name Knitbone for their new puppy?

7. But his favourite Pepper was undoubtedly Winnie. He’d taken care of her sinceshe was a baby; picking up things that she dropped from her high chair and keeping her face clean of sticky things like ice cream and ketchup. She rode on his back and he lay on her lap.

Do you think a dog would make a good childminder? How do you think Knitbone kept baby

Winnie’s face clean?

Talking PointsTalking Points1. What do you think the phrase poor as poets means? How can the Peppers be lords and ladies,

but be poor? Why do you think this might be?

2. Why do you think that glue doesn’t stick to the inside of the bottle? Try and fi gure it out as a

group. Then google it to see if you are right.

Writing ExercisesWriting ExercisesStarcross Hall is a very old house where hardly anything changes. Time almost seems to stand

still. Here the house is described as if it were a creature asleep.

The house snuggled into the surrounding countryside, undisturbed by the modern world, fast asleep and dreaming of times past. Birds nested in the eaves and shiny green ivy threaded its way through the patched roof.

1. Describe your own home. What does it look like from the outside? Does it have a chimney?

What colour is the front door? Think about how your home makes you feel. Don’t forget to

mention what you think is the most special thing about it.

2. A jungle explorer stumbles across the Starcross abandoned “bramble-tangled” garden. Write

a diary entry telling us about the exciting discoveries he makes in it, for example a rare beetle

or a suit of armour.

3. Imagine you are taking part in the Starcross Helter-Skelter championships. Write a poem

describing how it feels to slide from top to bottom and win fi rst prize. Try to use onomatopoeia

in your poem with words like woosh, swish, zoom and rush.

4. Knitbone is found beneath a plant as a puppy. Choose a plant and fi gure out what size animal

might be able to hide beneath it. If it’s a daisy then it might be a ladybird. If it’s a tree, then

it could be a gira� e! Find two di� erent sized plants and choose two di� erent animals to fi t

beneath them. Then draw them, label and compare.

Creative ExerciseCreative ExerciseImagine you are a hat collector just like the Peppers. Draw a big hat on a piece of card and then

decorate it with sequins, ribbons, feathers and buttons. Create a class display, just like the

Peppers would!

Chapter 3

wonderfulwonderfulwinnie winnie pepperpepper

Comprehension QuestionsComprehension Questions1. What does Knitbone mean when he describes himself as looking like an astronaut on page 31?

2. Where does Knitbone wait for Winnie all day, and why?

3. How do we know that Winnie is a kind person? Give examples.

4. Why doesn’t Winnie talk to her mum and dad about how she is feeling?

5. What does the postman suggest Winnie should do to feel better?

Talking PointsTalking Points1. Knitbone had been the one who Winnie turned to when she felt sad. His warm fur and

understanding expression made everything better.

Can you think of a time when an animal made you feel better?

2. What does time heals everything mean? Can you think of any example where this has worked

for you or where it hasn’t yet?

3. What does this illustration tell us about Winnie and Knitbone’s feelings? What might they be

thinking?

Writing Exercises Writing Exercises Winnie is very good at turning problems into opportunities. She tends to see the best in things.

When Lord Pepper got tangled in the curtains and pulled an antique curtain pole down, snapping it in two, Winnie announced it was time for a sword fight. They had a marvellous time, duelling all afternoon with sticks and cushions.

Write your own story about Winnie turning a bad situation into something wonderful.

Creative ExercisesCreative Exercises

1. Winnie marched down the lane, head down, plaits flip-flapping in the wind, completely unaware of the ghost dog plodding sadly at her heel.

Read this sentence aloud and look at the accompanying illustration again. If you were a fi lm

director what sort of music would you use for this scene? Cheerful? Loud? Sad? What sort

of instruments might be played? Can you create a piece of music for it as a group?

2. Draw a map of Starcross including the route to the bus stop. Mark where Knitbone waits all day.

Chapter 4

“FOR THE “FOR THE

ATTENTIONATTENTION

OF YE DEAD”OF YE DEAD”

Comprehension QuestionsComprehension Questions1. Who and what is Floppy Bernard?

2. What does SOS stand for in the book?

3. What was Knitbone scared of when he was alive?

4. What sort of biscuits does Knitbone have to take to the meeting?

5. What is Stage One Denial?

6. What is the special name for animal ghosts in the story?

Talking PointsTalking Points1. Do you think a ghost should be frightened of anything?

2. What are ghosts normally like in stories? How are the members of SOS di� erent to this?

3. The gang are called SOS (Spirits Of Starcross). SOS also means ‘help’ in Morse Code. Do you

think the author did this deliberately? If so, why?

Writing TaskWriting TaskPretend you are an animal ghost that has been invited to a ghost party. Write a diary entry all

about it, including things like games, food, presents and fancy outfi ts. Don’t forget to mention

some of the other ghostly guests!

Creative ExerciseCreative ExerciseIn the book the ghosts eat ginger biscuits. Later in the story we learn that no other biscuit

makes a ghost feel more alive. Chocolate biscuits make them sleepy and pink wafers make them

extremely naughty. In book two we learn that shortbread makes ghosts cry. Can you create a list

of other biscuit types and invent the e� ects they might have?

makes a ghost feel more alive. Chocolate biscuits make them sleepy and pink wafers make them

extremely naughty. In book two we learn that shortbread makes ghosts cry. Can you create a list

of other biscuit types and invent the e� ects they might have? of other biscuit types and invent the e� ects they might have?

Extra Creative Exercises for Extra Creative Exercises for Later ChaptersLater Chapters

1. Create a timeline of British history1. Create a timeline of British historyWhere do the di� erent Beloveds and Starcross belong on it?

Clues:

• Starcross is 904 years old

• Valentine is a medieval hare

• Gabriel is a goose from the time of the English Civil War

• Orlando is an Elizabethan monkey

• Martin is a hamster that was alive during the Second World War

2. Create a Matchbox Book2. Create a Matchbox Book• Take a 3 cm wide x 26 cm long strip of paper.

• Fold it into 8 sections (fold in half, in half again, in half again)

• Shorten the whole book into 8 tiny parts with just a few words (e.g. Knitbone becomes a

ghost, Winnie is sad, Knitbone meets SOS etc).

• Draw tiny pictures to illustrate it.

Soon you will have a little book that fi ts into a matchbox. Draw a tiny cover and stick it on the

top. Hooray! This can be the fi rst book in a matchbox library.

3. Become a Personal Fitness3. Become a Personal Fitness

trainertrainer

for Ghostsfor Ghosts

“EXERCISE AND ATTACK: If disaster strikes, a ghost must be fighting fit and ready for battle. Top-notch haunting calls for top-notch fitness. Remember, an unfit ghost is unfit for purpose, like a chocolate saucepan or a jelly spade.”

Create a PE session for ghosts with at least four di� erent types of exercise, like squats and

jogging. Maybe give the exercises special ghostly names like Spooky Starjumps! Go out into the

playground and try it out on your friends.

4. Write a Stonking Stink recipe4. Write a Stonking Stink recipeIf you were going to make a Stonking Stink, what disgusting smells would you put in it? Make

a list and create a truly disgusting recipe that is most defi nitely not Heaven scent.

5. Art History

• Vincent Van Flu� is inspired by a very famous artist. See if you can fi nd out who this is.

• Paint a fi eld of sunfl owers. Then draw a picture of Gabriel the ghost goose on a piece of

tracing paper, cut him out and stick him into your sunfl ower picture. You should be able to

see through him, to the sunfl owers beneath, just like a ‘real’ ghost.

6. Funny Instructional Writing6. Funny Instructional WritingKnitbone Pepper contains instructional sheets, texts, newspaper cuttings, guidebooks, letters

and invitations.

Can you design a weekly timetable with silly activities and hobbies on it for the ghosts to

complete? For example:

Orlando Tuesday Polishing ze spoonzMartin Wednesday Eating gingernuts

Valentine Thursday Hare brushing

Try to make it as funny and inventive as you can!

Write a letter to the authorWrite a letter to the authorWhy not send a bundle of class letters? Tell Claire what you enjoyed about the story, or maybe

tell her about a story of your own. Here is a link to the address: https://clairebarkerauthor.com/

contact/

Keep an eye on the postbox because you never know…you might just get a letter in return!

To see all of the books in the Knitbone Pepper Ghost Dog To see all of the books in the Knitbone Pepper Ghost Dog series and for similar activitiesseries and for similar activities for learning please visit for learning please visit

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